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Translation of common French real estate terms |
Real estate terms in French and EnglishYou'll notice some unfamiliar tems in Fench immobiliers ads. These are a few of the more common ones. |
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| Apartments – T2 or F2? | Essentially T and F both mean the same thing i.e. type of apartment. The number indicates the number of bedrooms in addition to the living area, so a T2 equals a 1-bedroom apartment, a T3 a 2-bedroom apartment whilst a T1 is a studio. | |
| Duplex | This relates to an apartment set out on several levels with stairs in between. | |
| Mezzanine | This is a balconied area upstairs overlooking the living area, commonly found in apartments and coastal holiday homes - ideal for another bedroom, playroom or study. | |
| Residence dans une Co-propriete and Syndic | Many apartments and holiday homes on the coast as well as in the mountains tend to form part of a co-ownership where communal charges are payable for general maintenance of the area, use of a private swimming pool in some instances and even water rates can be included. The co-ownership is usually managed by a managing agent known as a syndic. | |
| Houses – 1F, 2F etc | F equals face in French or side in English. Thus, a 2F is a 2-sided or terraced house, a 3F a 3-sided/semi-detached house and a 4F a 4-sided/detached house. Note that 1F (back-to-back houses) are also quite common in villages and even purpose-built coastal areas. | |
| De plain-pied | This often points to a bungalow-type
property – meaning ‘on one level’. Not to be confused with ‘Pied-a-terre’! |
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| Surface Habitable | This relates to the living space of the property and therefore does not normally include areas such as bathroom, hall, etc. | |
| A rafraichir | This literally means in need of some redecoration, but in reality it can also mean that you need to finish any small jobs started. Catalans are often quite happy to put the house on the market whilst still laying floor tiles for instance and leave you the materials to carry on! | |
| Dans lotissement/Hors lotissement | If a property is dans lotissement
it is part of a collection of houses. However, it could be on a large development
or alternatively one of only 5 or 6 that are quite independent. Hors lotissement means that it stands alone with no neighbours to speak of. |
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| Size of land in square metres | 2,000m2 = half an acre 10,000m2 = 1 hectare = 2.5 acres |
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| Jardin non-attenant | This refers to a garden or piece of land that belongs to the house, but is not directly linked to it, similar to an allotment – it can be a short walk away! | |
| En frais reduits | This means reduced notaire’s fees and usually applies in the case of new properties under 5 year’s old where this is the first sale by the first owner. | |
| © 2003 Canigou Country |
Canigou Country
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